Fuel economizer for internal-combustion engines



Dec. 6, 1 24- 1,519,393

. O. W. BROBERG FUEL ECONOMIZER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES FiledAug. 50, 1922 [Ia/ere, for

55:47 W .Bralery Patented Dec. 1%, i924.

Parent OSCAR- W. BROBERG, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO; MABEL BROIBERGADMINISTRATRIX 0F SAID OSCAR W. BBOBEBG, DECEASED.

rum nconomwn non. mrnnNAL-comn'os'non swarm Application filed August 80,1822. Serial No. 585,299.

To all whom it may concern:

\ Be it known that I, OSCAR W. Bnoanno, a resident of the city ofCleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,and a citizen ofthe United States, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements inFuel Economizers for Internal- Combustion Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved device for economizing fuel in theuse of internal combustion engines, and has for its objects aside fromthat mentioned, to provide such a device which is automaticallycontrolled from the main throttle rod of the engine, sothat a saving iseffected in the quantity of liquid fuel used, a saving in the amount oflubricating oil re uired, and a partial refinin of the latter O'lleffected.

A further 0 ject' of my invention is to prevent the fuel gasesaccumulating in the intake manifold when the engine is stopped, fromflowing back, after llqueiying, into the carburettor and flooding thelatter, thus making it difiicult to start the engine thereafter. Myimproved device avoids such flooding of the carburettor.

A further object is to carry ofl' the hot vapors from the gear and crankcases and feed them into the intake manifold with the usual fuel gasmixture, thus servin to further heat such mixture and also coo the saidlubricating oil of the cases.

It is a special object of my improvement to make the use of myeconomizer auto- 1 matic, so that it is connected with the manifold whenthe engine is running but discon: nected at all times when the latter isidle. This arises from the fact that the use of the improvement does notdepend on the control of the operator, but is so connected to the mainthrottle'rod, that it is opened and closed therewith. It is therefore inuse when it is needed.

A still further advantage results from my. improvement in that it may befitted to any 1 internal combustion engine and that without buying newparts other than this device itself.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

he invention consists essentially of the arrangements and constructionof parts herein described, and the scope of which will be pointed out inthe claims following,

it being understood that changes may be made in the structure disclosedwithin the scope of said claims.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in the, several views,

.Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation ofan internal combustionengine with the im rovement applied thereto,

igure 2 is a plan view of the carburettor and my device with relatedparts,

Figure 3 is a view in cross section taken on the line 33 ofFig. 2, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view as seen in the plane indicated by the line4-4 of Fig. 3.

My improved device is shown in the drawin s 1n connection with aconventional type 0 vehicle engine rovided with the usual crank case A,car urettor B, intake manifold C, and exhaust manifoldD. In Fig. 2 isalso shown in plan the usual parts 1, 2 and 3 representingconventionally the throttle valve stem, lever and rod, respecable for mypurpose as will be later ex plained. I

My economizer comprises a thin late a which is nearly rectangular in outine, a circular aperture 5 intersecting the plate near its center, andtubular elements 6 and 7 being secured to the side and end of the laterespectively. In some cases, it may found desirable to make these tubesintegral with the plate, but I have shown them welded or brazed thereto.In any event, the interior of the tubes are made to communicate by anopening 6. v

The aperture 5 has communication with the tube 6 by means of a pluralityof arallel small ipes 8, so that gases in tube will find read y entranceinto the aperture 5. The lower end of the tube 7 has a substantiallycylindrical bore 9. leading to the opening 6. About mid-way of itslength art 7 has an inner nipple l0 separated mm the outer wall by anannular socket 11 to receive any liquid that might accumulate in thetube, and the upper surface of the part 10 is smooth and flat to receivea valve lunger at 15 and thus serve as an auxil- 1ary throttle. i

The upper end of the tube 7 is an lnner threaded part-12 which is shownas a separate part seated in the remainder of the tube for purposes ofmanufacture, but which may be made integral if desired. The reduced part1O serves to conduct the sections of 7 together. The valve plunger part14 is fitted to engage the threa ed part 12 at 13 so that as the part 14is rotated it opens the art 9 into the space enclosing the reduce end ofthe lunger, or closes it at 15, as before explained. The

part 14 therefore serves as a throttle.

The said throttle member 14 is actuated by a,lever 17 whichis'adjustably secured to said member by a screw 18, shown here asoperated manually) therefore opens or closes,

the entrance of vapors into the tube part 9, by the intermediacy of.parts 22, 21, 17, 14 and 15.

Mounting :-As shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the conventionalmanner of connectin the front end of the carburettor with t e intakemanifold is to provide an external flange about the tubular opening fromeach, and clamp these flanges together by suitable coupling bolts. Thisconstruction is found on all engines of this t To mount my econ'omizerinposition, t ese aforesaid flanges are separated by withdrawing saidbolts, and then inserting the plate 4 of my device between said flanges,s'o'that the opening 5 shall'be in exact alinement with said.carburettor and manifold tubes, the said opening being of such size asto .very accurately register with the other parts, as before explained.See Figs. 1 and 2. Longer bolts will then be substituted for thosebefore employed and will be inserted through the holes 16 of the plate4, and the clamp 22 fitted onto the link or rod 3. All fuel gases fromthe carburettor will now pass through the opening 5 and thence to theintake. When the engine stops running, due to the throttle 1 beingclosed, the vapors in said intake manifold after cooling, will flow backtoward the carburettor, and in normal and ordinary conditions will flowback into the carburettor, flooding it and choking it, often causingdifficulty in starting the engine again, especially in cold seasons. Butwith my de- 8 to direct the liquid into the pipes.

vice in position, such. liquefied vapors cannot reach the carburettor,but in passing through the opening 5 they drop down the pipes 8 into thetube 6, remaining there until the main throttle is again opened to startthe engine. Then, as soon as the engine starts, as will now be donereadily as the carburettor is free of liquid either thin or plastic, avacuum in the manifold causes pressure in the tubes 6 and 7 to force theaccumulated liquid there up into the pipes 8 and thence into themanifold and cylinders to add to the ordinary fuel.

Extending laterally and perpendicularly from the mid-point of tube 7, isa tube 20 which serves to feed the vapors from the casings to thisauxiliary throttle space, and when the latter is open, to the parts 9,6, 8, 5, and thence to the manifold. This tube 20 is connected bysuitable fittings to the casings, either to the gear case at 23, as hereshown, or to the breather pipe itself, as is well understood, or even bywithdrawing the cap of the breather and adding another section intowhich the tube 20 may be detachably secured. It is immaterial, so far asmy invention is concerned, how the said tube is connected with the casesor either of them. The essential feature is that the new device h'ereshown shall have communication with the upper portion of one of thecasings so that the hot vapors thereinmay be conducted to the manifoldby connection intermediate the manifold C and carburettor B. Thisconnection is at the extreme lower end of the part (7, so that thedevice will receive all moisture flowing down from part C.

As a further means for making certain the flow of liquid from opening 5into the tube part 6, the periphery, of'the said circle 5 has an annulargroove'24 which serves as a trou h at its lower arc nearest the pi es eeFig. 3. While liquid. might flow over a smooth surfaceof such openinginto the carburettor, it is highly improbable that it will flow oversuch a trough-shaped groove as leads to these pipes.

Operation :-The plate 4 having been mounted between the flanges of thejoint at the front end of the carburettor with tube 6 horizontal andbelow! the opening 5, and the clamp fixed to the rod 3, opening the mainthrottle in the usual manner will turn the stem 14 and also open thethrottle leading totubes 6 and 7. The tube 20 is connected to a suitableopening insome high level of the crank case or an extension therefrom,and hot vapors will be drawn into pipes 8 whenever the main throttle isopen-'-the engine running. Such drawing off of the hot vapors from thelubricating oils, not only enriches the fuel oil mixture but alsorefines the oil from which misses plate and its related parts requiresno adin the plane of the lattr and pi ditional machining of old parts,and that when for any reason it should be desirable to remove the devicetemporarily, it can be easily done and the parts connected as before.This provides readily for repair of the parts. Or, if it should bedesired to throw the attachment out 'of commission temporarily, it isonly necessary to remove the clamp 22 fIOIIItllGTTOd 3, and fix the stemin ti htened relation so; as to hold the valve 15 c osed. This can bedone without removing the plate.

I do not desire to limit m self to the exact form of the parts hereilustrated or to the particular structure described, but desire to claimany modifications possible within the. spirit and scope of theinvention.

What 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a, valve mechanism adapted to beinserted between the intake manifold and carburetor,-

comprising a, late having an aperture therethrough, t e peripheral edgeof the aperture having an annular groove serving as a trough at itslower port on, a tube secured to the lower n of said plate andconnecting said tube and trough, where y liquefied gases flowing backfrom the intake will flow into the trough, down the pipes and thenceinto the edge tube, a control valve for directin the entrance of gasesinto said tube and tiience to said pipes, and means for controlling saidvalve, substantially as set forth. Y I 2. Ina device for economizingfuel of'internal combustion engines, a fiat plate having a transverseaperture near its center and smaller apertures for securing the devicein position between the carburetor and intake manifold, a pair of tubes,one of which is mounted on an edge of the plate and the other on anotheredge at right angles to the first, the tubes communicating with 'eachother and one of them having means for communicating with the firstmentioned apertur and the other havin a threaded openin and a shoulderthere elow spaced from t e outer wall of the tube, a threadedstem-engaging said threaded opening and havin a valve element forresting on said shoul er when the stem is secured into the opening, atube leading to said space, and actuating means for said valve stem,substantially set forth.

3. In an internal combustion engine having a carbureter and intakemanifold detachab y connected together, and gear and crank.

cases, a fuel economizing mechanism comprising a flat plate adapted tobe secured between said carbureter and manifold and having a transverseopening therethrough in alinement with the axes of said carbureter andmanifold, tubular parts secured to 1ntersecting edges of said plate, oneof said tubes being below said opening, parallel pipes within said plateand leading from said lower tube up into the opening, and the othertubular part having a reduced bore at one end communicating with thefirst tube, a larger internally threaded opening at the other, thusproviding a shoulder between the two openmgs, and an intermediate enlared space between the two openings, a stem diaving a plunger at one andadapted to engage the shoulder to close the reduced opening, and athreaded part to register with the threaded opening, a tube intersectingthe plane of the plate and communi eating with said intermediate space,a lever secured to said stem for actuating the same, and means forconnecting said last mentioned tube with the case, substantially as setforth. i

4:. In an internal combustion engine, the combination withthe'crank-case havin a suitable port, an intake manifold, a carureter,carbureter valve and control rod therefor, of fuel economizer mechanismadapted to be inserted between the lower end of the intake manifold andthe carbureter comprising an apertured plate having a tube parallel withand fixed to the lower edge 0 said plate and pipes within said plateestablishing communication between the said aperture and tube, valvemeans for controlling the entrance of fluids into mid tube, means forconducting fluids from said port to said valve means, and meansconnected with said control rod for actuating said valve means,substantially as set forth.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the intakemanifold and carbureter detachably connected together adjacent thecombustion end of the carburotor, of means including a plate insertedbetween the carbureter and manifold and having a socket below the levelof the carbureter for receiving therein liquids flowing back from themanifold, thereby preventing flooding of the carbureter when the engineis not running, and means for directi hot vapors from the crank case tosaid liquid receiving means to vaporize and ex el said back-flowingliquids into the manifo d when the engine. is running, substantially asset forth.

6. A fuel economizing mechanism for internal combustion enginescomprising a secondary throttle means, a that late secured between thecarbureter and t e intake lac transverse of said plate near its centerand small pipes entering said aperture and communicatmg with said tube,the latter having communication with said throttle means, and meanscontrolled automatically by the main throttle mechanism of the enginefor in turn controlling the said secondary throttle means, substantiallyas set forth.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the crankcase, intake manifold and carbureter, of means inserted between themanifold and carbureter for catching the back-flowing liquid from themanifold, said means including an apertured plate and pipes within theplate leading from its lower edge to said aperture and means connectedwith said crank case for receiving hot vapors from the latter and directin them into said pipes for vaporizing said liquid and returningthem to the said manifold, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

- OSCAR W. BROBERG.

